EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Exodus 33:20
20But you will never see my face. Nobody can see my face and still be alive.’
Exodus 33:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
- New International Version (NIV)But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
Context of Exodus 33:20
18Then Moses said, ‘Please, show me your glory!’ 19The Lord said, ‘I will let you see how great and good I am. I will tell you my name, that I am the Lord. If I choose to be kind to someone, I will be kind to them. If I choose to forgive someone, I will forgive them. But you will never see my face. Nobody can see my face and still be alive.’ 21Then the Lord said, ‘Look! There is a place near to me. You can stand there on a rock. 22When my glory passes in front of you, I will put you in a hole in the rock. I will cover your eyes with my hand as I pass by there.
Read all of Exodus 33Exodus 33:20 word by word
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 33:20
- Exodus 24:10They saw the God of Israel there. Under his feet was something like a jewel called sapphire. It was as bright as a clear blue sky.
- Genesis 32:30So Jacob called the place Peniel. He said, ‘I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive!’
- Deuteronomy 5:24They said, ‘The Lord our God has shown us how great and how powerful he is. We have heard his voice from the middle of the fire. We have learned this: People can continue to live, even after God has spoken to them.
- Judges 6:22Gideon realized that he had been talking to the Lord's angel. He cried out, ‘Oh no! Almighty Lord, I have seen your angel, face to face.’
- Judges 13:22He said to his wife, ‘We are sure to die! We have seen God!’
- Isaiah 6:5Then I said, ‘It is bad for me! My life is at an end! I have lips that are unclean. I live among people with lips that are unclean. With my own eyes I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’
- John 1:18Nobody has ever seen God. But God's only Son has shown God to us. He is very near to the Father, and he himself is God.
- 1 Timothy 6:16God alone lives for ever. He lives in very bright light that nobody can come near. Nobody has ever seen God. Nobody is able to see him. So we praise him! He will rule for ever with great authority! Amen! This is true.
- Hebrews 1:13Also, God has never said this to any of the angels: ‘Sit at my right side until I win against your enemies completely. Then you will be able to put your feet on them.’
- Revelation 1:16He held seven stars in his right hand. A sword with two sharp edges came out of his mouth. His face was like the sun when it shines very brightly.
Commentaries on Exodus 33:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20No man see me, and live - The splendor would be insufferable to man; he only, whose mortality is swallowed up of life, can see God as he is. See 1 John 3:2. From some disguised relation of the circumstances mentioned here, the fable of Jupiter and Semele was formed; she is reported to have entreated Jupiter to show her his glory, who was at first very reluctant, knowing that it would be fatal to her; but at last, yielding to her importunity, he discovered…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-23Verses 12-23 Moses is very earnest with God. Thus, by the intercession of Christ, we are not only saved from ruin, but become entitled to everlasting happiness. Observe here how he pleads. We find grace in God's sight, if we find grace in our hearts to guide and quicken us in the way of our duty. Moses speaks as one who dreaded the thought of going forward without the Lord's presence. God's gracious promises, and mercy towards us, should not only…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-23God desires to reveal his character to his people. However, to see his face means to see his full being (his true and complete nature). No human can see God in this way and live. God’s glorious presence is described in 33:22. That kind of direct encounter would bring death to a human person. God allowed Moses to see only a small part of his glory. Moses was given a brief glimpse, but nothing more.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2318-23. I beseech thee, show me thy glory--This is one of the most mysterious scenes described in the Bible: he had, for his comfort and encouragement, a splendid and full display of the divine majesty, not in its unveiled effulgence, but as far as the weakness of humanity would admit. The face, hand, back parts, are to be understood figuratively.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 33:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 33
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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